


Into the Sunshine

by seathehorizon



Category: K-pop, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crush at First Sight, Happy Ending, Jeon Jungkook & Jung Hoseok | J-Hope are Best Friends, Jeon Jungkook & Kim Seokjin | Jin are Siblings, Kim Namjoon | RM & Min Yoongi | Suga are Roommates, M/M, Namgi are Jin's best friends, Protective Jeon Jungkook, Secret Relationship, Seokjin has been hurt, Vmin are friends with Hopekook
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:54:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25004215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seathehorizon/pseuds/seathehorizon
Summary: “He asked me out to a restaurant instead, on Sunday afternoon.”When Seokjin didn’t elaborate, Yoongi blinked at him. “Do you not want to go?”“I do.” Seokjin sighed and rubbed his neck. “I do, even if it is just as friends, it would be wonderful.” Food, friends, fun; what more could he ask for? Hoseok had not phrased it as a date, but he had also emphasised it would only be the two of them and Seokjin was unsure how to take that. “The problem is Jeongguk.”“Ah.” Yoongi pursed his lips, understanding. “Don’t tell him?”“Oh, I won’t. I’ve even asked Hoseok not to mention it.”Seokjin needs to go behind his brother's back in order to date his friend. What could possibly go wrong?
Relationships: Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Kim Seokjin | Jin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 72
Collections: 2seok Summer Fest 2020





	Into the Sunshine

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [2seoksummerfest2020](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/2seoksummerfest2020) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> Hoseok and jungkook are "dance friends" and seokjin is jungkook's older brother he's very protective of bc he's been hurt before. Hoseok and seokjin meet once and are interested in each other ,they have to hide it from jungkook..
> 
> Can there be a confrontation scene. With JK and hoseok.. where seokjin has to intervene? Please and thank you

Seokjin kind of regretted agreeing to pick up Jeongguk after his dance practice, but his brother had asked him so nicely - pleaded, rather - and Seokjin had never been great at resisting his puppy eyes, or the praise of what a great brother he was (yes, he knew he was being manipulated, no, he didn't care).

It wasn't like it was a big deal, but he was _tired_ and it was close to midnight already (he needed to tell him off for going on till this late). Seokjin's days of staying up half the night were over, even though those days were in university and he had graduated only a year ago, and midnight technically wasn't even that late. Perhaps he just liked to complain sometimes, so what? As much as he loved Jeongguk, if he was able to get a favour out of him in return, he would use that opportunity.

Not wanting to wait outside in the car - it was dark and creepy and he refused to be on edge the entire time - he decided to just go in, having received the code from Jeongguk "just in case" (he tended to run late since he never paid attention to the time). Not that the inside of the building was much better: not all rooms were in use, so the music and sounds of footfall from random parts of the building were actually quite terrifying. He knew he shouldn't have watched that stupid thriller earlier, but he had been bored and had known that it would at least keep him awake. Possibly forever.

Once he reached the correct practice room, he could feel the bass running through his body, someone shouting random phrases Seokjin assumed were related to the dance ("change!" and "down!" and "body roll!" - what on earth was his little brother learning?). He considered knocking, but knew they wouldn't hear him anyway, so although he rapped his knuckles on the door, he didn't wait for a response and instead stepped inside, attempting to be as inconspicuous as possible.

Nonetheless, he was spotted through the mirror and heard a loud "hyung!", shortly followed by silence when the music was turned off.

"Sorry, lost track of time," Jeongguk apologised, panting and wiping a towel across his forehead. "This is Hobi hyung, we're doing a dance together and we've been coming up with our own choreography." He waved a tired hand in the direction of the only other person in the room: a slim, attractive young man who offered Seokjin such a warm smile he could feel his breath catch for just a moment.

"It's Hoseok, but Hobi for friends," the man explained, his golden skin glistening from the workout he'd put his body through. "You must be Seokjin-ssi, nice to meet you!"

"I-" Seokjin caught a glimpse of Jeongguk's suspicious expression and quickly smoothed out his own, not wanting his brother to notice that this Hobi, Hoseok, whatever he wanted Seokjin to call him, was leaving quite an impression on him. To be fair, with Jeongguk being the only dancer he knew, Seokjin had almost forgotten how attractive dancer's bodies were, but this guy had shapely legs and strong thighs and when he tilted his head back to take a drink of water, his shirt lifted up a little and there were definitely some abs hiding under there.

Clearing his throat, Seokjin stood up straight and adopted his usual air of nonchalance and confidence. "I've heard a lot about you from Jeongguk," he finished his earlier sentence, his eyes back on Hoseok's face. "Nice to meet you too and please, call me hyung; any friend of Jeongguk's is a friend of mine." He had never cared too much for formalities, and he had indeed heard plenty of stories about Hoseok, knew everything from his age to his favourite dance moves, but this was his first time seeing him. And boy, was there a lot to be seen.

"Can I shower at yours, hyung?" Jeongguk asked, already packing up his bag. "It's late and I'm _exhausted_."

"Probably for the best," Hoseok said with a sigh, rubbing a towel along his arms and neck. "More than once we've found underwear in the showers and I hope it's accidental from just being too tired to pay attention, but who knows."

"Underwear?" Seokjin asked, stunned. How did that even happen? "Yes, shower at mine," he agreed, "because that would be… embrarassing."

Jeongguk groaned miserably and crouched down as though he were trying to hide, while Hoseok only stared at him quietly for several moments before suddenly bursting out into loud laughter, doubling over in delight. Seokjin couldn't help but preen as he looked over smugly at a bemused Jeongguk.

"O-kay… Hyung, let's go." Jeongguk grabbed his bag and led the way to the door. "Sorry, Hobi hyung," he apologised, stopping with his hand on the doorknob. "Are you okay to lock up?"

Hoseok waved him off, a sunny smile on his face that made Seokjin want to bask in its brightness. "No worries, you two get home! I'll see you tomorrow, Kookie, and Seokjin hyung: I hope to meet you again one day."

"Me too," Seokjin said, smiling at Hoseok kindly. "I'm sure we will." He waved at him, Jeongguk doing the same, and then they were out in the hallway and making their way to the car.

"Hey, hyung?" Jeongguk said after a short while. There was something anxious about him as he looked over at Seokjin, who widened his eyes questioningly. "You're not interested in Hobi hyung, right?"

Seokjin furrowed his eyebrows, pretending to be confused and surprised by the question, and then scoffed, shaking his head as though the mere idea were ludicrous. "Why, because someone finally appreciates my sense of humour? Of course not, I don't even know him!" He patted his brother on the shoulder and offered him a smile as they stepped outside into the cold. "Don't you worry. He seems nice, but _as a friend_. If that, really, since I doubt we have much in common."

That seemed to make Jeongguk relax somewhat, though he still appeared concerned. Either way, he nodded and grinned at Seokjin, who was now unlocking the car. "You're right, sorry. I just worry about you, you know that."

Seokjin felt himself soften and was suddenly overwhelmed with fondness for his little brother. When his previous relationship ended, it had been quite overwhelming. It had all stemmed from the both of them having different interests, different paths they wished to take in life, but rather than discuss these issues and search for a potential solution, or even just breaking up as any more considerate person would do, his ex had decided the best way to go about it was to try to change Seokjin entirely: cut him off from his friends and family, manipulate him, mould him into someone he wasn’t. He had attempted to break him, ensure nothing would be left except a docile marionette with a pretty face. A trophy husband, so to speak.

In the end, Seokjin had managed to break free with the help of some stubborn friends who had taken him in until Jeongguk had contacted him, crying and insisting that Seokjin move back in with him and their parents for a while. An offer he had taken him up on, as his friends were lovely and wonderful and brilliant, but they also barely had enough room just for themselves. Besides, he could use the comfort of his parents and his sweet little brother who had suddenly grown up.

Ever since, Jeongguk had been incredibly protective over him. As much as Seokjin appreciated it, it could get frustrating at times: any time he stared at someone for too long, Jeongguk was there to act as a barrier. Granted, no one had caught his eye enough so far to make it matter much; he could appreciate hotness without wanting anything more. However, he wondered sometimes what would happen if he _did_ meet someone.

He watched Jeongguk bop his head to the beat of whatever song was playing on the radio, humming along innocently as he stared out the window and drummed his fingers on his leg, and decided that, for now, he wouldn’t worry about that. His brother cared about him and he loved him dearly in return; it was difficult to be truly annoyed with him.

“I’ll make you some food while you shower,” Seokjin told him, as though he were trying to make up for the negative direction his thoughts had been taking. “Nothing too big, but you could probably use a snack.”

Jeongguk glanced over at him and a smile spread across his lips. “Ah, thanks, hyung! If you’re sure, then ramyeon would be fine.” And he started to ramble about his favourite flavours and the best method to prepare it, sufficiently dragging Seokjin far, far away from the topic of love and relationships. As he should be.

*******

“A hazelnut latte, please.” Seokjin tapped his card on the machine and scooted over to the pick-up area, scrolling through his phone as he waited. Some days he couldn’t be bothered with making his own coffee and he instead left the house a little earlier so he could order it from elsewhere. And, well, some days his friends had been round and he forgot to restock his coffee afterwards, which meant he was now only left with some americano pods and that just wasn’t his drink. He could just about stand it if he added milk and sugar, but what was the point?

“Jin hyung!”

Startled, Seokjin lifted his head and searched for the source of that voice, pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be Hoseok, Jeongguk’s dance friend. Hoseok was grinning at him happily and waving one hand as he used the other to pay for his own order. Not quite as willing to attract attention to himself, Seokjin merely smiled and nodded at him, pocketing his phone as he waited for Hoseok to make his way over.

“So we meet again,” he said. He quickly looked Hoseok up and down: tight, ripped jeans, yellow shoes, an oversized white shirt with a colourful cartoon shirt on top, the entire ensemble finished off with a white bucket hat. On anyone else, it would likely look ridiculous, but Hoseok somehow made it work. Seokjin himself was dressed smart casual and he felt both largely over and underdressed beside him.

“So we do,” Hoseok responded, still smiling and making it absolutely impossible not to smile back. His face suddenly dropped into a frown. “I hope it’s okay I called you Jin hyung, I didn’t even ask first.”

“Oh!” Seokjin blinked, not even having noticed the nickname at first. He decided he didn’t mind in the slightest. “No, it’s fine, don’t worry.” In fact, it was quite nice that Hoseok felt comfortable enough for it to slip out; many of Jeongguk’s friends seemed intimidated by him for some reason, so it was a nice change.

Hoseok’s smile reappeared and his shoulders dropped like he was immensely relieved by that response. There was something very genuine and endearing about him, someone who could immediately make anyone feel comfortable. “Cool. You can call me Hobi, by the way.”

“Maybe I will,” Seokjin responded mysteriously, unsure himself what he was even attempting to be mysterious about.

“One hazelnut latte,” the barista called out, saving Seokjin from the consequences of his words. He quickly grabbed his drink and took that as his cue to leave before he actually embarrassed himself.

“Well, I guess this is a sign I should get to work. But it was nice to see you again, Hos- Hobi.” That felt odd, but it seemed to please Hoseok so he resisted the urge to change back to ‘Hoseok’.

“Hey, why don’t we exchange numbers?” Hoseok suggested, taking his phone out. “Or Kakao IDs.” Sensing Seokjin’s hesitation, Hoseok smiled reassuringly. “We don’t have to, I just thought we could be friends too. And, well, you’re interesting. Attractive. Jeongguk always talks you up and you seem every bit as nice as he said.” He sighed and scratched the back of his head, appearing sheepish. “Okay, so I want to get to know you better. But you’re obviously free to say no, please don’t feel pressured!”

Seokjin schooled his expression and wondered what he had done in his life to deserve this kind of treatment from the actual sun itself. He had been called attractive before, yet it felt different coming from Hoseok. It didn't feel like he had a hidden agenda and honestly, Seokjin found him just as fascinating. He was bright, but not in a way that dimmed anyone else.

"I'd love to be your friend," Seokjin said. He unlocked his phone and handed it over. “Here, why don’t you add yourself?” He winked, a habit of his and one he regretted until Hoseok laughed all flustered while tapping in his number with elegant fingers.

“Is it okay if I send myself a message so I have your details too?” Hoseok asked. How polite he was; Seokjin could definitely fall for him. Which should probably worry him, but perhaps it was time to throw caution to the wind and not shut someone else out (besides, there was no telling yet if they were even compatible; Hoseok had asked to be _friends_ and so friends they would be).

“Of course.” Seokjin smiled when Hoseok handed him his phone back right as his drink was being called. Something fruity and sweet, by the sounds of it. Unsure what to do with himself, he sipped his drink and pretended he hadn’t nearly burnt his tongue, then shoved his free hand in his pocket and waited for Hoseok so they could walk together. God, why was this so difficult? He chanted ‘friends, friends, friends’ in his head while listening to Hoseok talk about his plans for the day, which consisted of him meeting up with his sister.

“Some people say we look alike,” Hoseok said with a laugh.

“She must be very pretty,” Seokjin said without thinking. He froze once he had processed his own words, the tips of his ears turning a bright red. He glanced over at Hoseok to check if he had noticed, but he was looking the other way, a large, bashful grin on his face, along with a pretty blush. Seokjin found it might be worth embarrassing himself.

“Yeah, well…” Hoseok shrugged, clearly neither wanting to insult his (undoubtedly gorgeous) sister nor wanting to accept the inadvertent compliment. He checked his watch and clicked his tongue. “Ah, I should really get going, but I’ll message you later.”

From anyone else, that would have sounded like an excuse and a lie, but Hoseok appeared genuinely regretful about needing to part ways with him, and Seokjin believed that, yes, he _would_ message him later. Which was why he returned to work with a skip in his step.

“What happened to you?” his friend and coworker Dahyun asked when he sat back down at his desk, humming. “Your face is all happy.”

“Just enjoying the sunshine today,” Seokjin replied vaguely, offering a friendly smile. He booted his computer back up and ignored Dahyun’s confusion as she stared out at the grey skies.

*******

“A dancer?” Yoongi chewed his food slowly, then nodded after swallowing. “I can’t blame you, dancers are hot.”

“That’s not why I’m interested in him,” Seokjin protested. “But yes, he is hot,” he admitted when Yoongi raised his eyebrows.

“Tell me about him,” Yoongi said, poking the meat they were grilling at their table. Seokjin got together with his friends every other Friday evening - if possible - and since they all loved food, they usually ended up at a restaurant somewhere, too exhausted to cook themselves. Plus, well, Namjoon couldn’t actually cook, so he was always in favour of eating out. He hadn’t arrived yet, though, his work making him run late, so they had started without him.

Seokjin sighed and moved some vegetables onto his plate. “He’s… sweet. He messages me every day, even when it’s just to send me a picture of a flower or a selfie at the dance studio,” he ignored Yoongi’s chuckle, “or a message to cry about how tired he is. It doesn’t feel like he’s trying to impress me, rather he seems genuine. Kind. He’s one of those people who won’t let an awkward silence fall.”

They had met up the other day, planned this time. A friendly cup of coffee, nothing more, except it had been several cups and they had spent hours chatting and getting to know each other, with Seokjin feeling completely at ease the entire time. It was refreshing and something he was mostly used to from people he had known for a while.

Plus, although he was much more extraverted than Seokjin was, he never made him feel bad about this fact, and when he had texted Seokjin yesterday to ask if he wanted to go clubbing this weekend, it had been a relief that he had accepted Seokjin’s refusal without question; in the past, he had often been interrogated on the reason he didn’t enjoy going out to places like that, or he was forcefully persuaded to go after all, only to feel uncomfortable the entire time.

Yoongi grumbled over how much that had impressed Seokjin, claiming that being a decent person shouldn’t be celebrated. Which was true, but it was good to know someone _was_ a decent person and not another disappointment. And, honestly, it hadn't been an easy process to accept that he might be into Hoseok, because Seokjin was still afraid of the darkness, of being let down and having his fragile heart toyed with. But he couldn't help but trust Hoseok, careful as he might be about going full out from the start.

“He asked me out to a restaurant instead, on Sunday afternoon.”

When Seokjin didn’t elaborate, Yoongi blinked at him. “Do you not want to go?”

“I do.” Seokjin sighed and rubbed his neck. “I do, even if it is just as friends, it would be wonderful.” Food, friends, fun; what more could he ask for? Hoseok had not phrased it as a date, but he had also emphasised it would only be the two of them and Seokjin was unsure how to take that. “The problem is Jeongguk.” Because Seokjin might be willing to put his feelings on the line, but Jeongguk would not be pleased.

“Ah.” Yoongi pursed his lips, understanding. “Don’t tell him?”

“Oh, I won’t. I’ve even asked Hoseok not to mention it.” Which had been a complicated conversation, because Seokjin hadn’t wanted to come across as presumptuous, so he had explained that if Jeongguk even _suspected_ anything was going on, he would never let it go. And although Hoseok hadn’t seemed intimidated by his brother, he had agreed that Jeongguk could at times hyperfocus on things, and he was fine doing whatever Seokjin was most comfortable with (though he had been somewhat hesitant, since Jeongguk had, after all, been his friend first).

At that moment an out-of-breath Namjoon showed up, looking like he'd run here straight from work. "Sorry, boss kept me for far longer than expected." He groaned and took a seat, accepting the food Yoongi shoved his way. "He recently started questioning my work ethic, which means that now I feel like I have something to prove."

"All you have to prove is that he's a jackass," Yoongi said sternly, waving over their waitress to order more drinks. "You work harder than literally everyone there.”

Namjoon smiled, his dimples appearing. “Thanks, hyung. I wish he saw it the same way, especially with the promotion coming up.”

Seokjin shook his head and thanked the waitress for bringing them their drinks, distributing them among their little group. Namjoon’s job was a source of frustration among them all. When he first started, there had been a different boss: a strict yet fair woman who had seen everyone’s potential and genuinely wanted to help them progress. She had been offered a job elsewhere, though, and her replacement was an ass, to put it lightly, and for some reason greatly disliked Namjoon (baffling, if you asked Seokjin; Namjoon was one of the best people).

“But,” Namjoon slammed his hands on the table and sat up straight, “I’ve discussed this enough today. What did I miss? Has anything new happened?”

“Jin hyung has a crush.” Yoongi grunted when Seokjin elbowed him.

“I do not!” Seokjin protested. He paused when Yoongi stopped piling food on Namjoon’s plate to glare at him disbelievingly. “Alright, so maybe I do. But I wanted to tell him myself.”

“Does this person like you back?” Namjoon asked, looking between the two of them curiously and luckily not making a big deal out of it.

“I don’t know,” Seokjin admitted. “I feel like he does, but we need to talk about it. He asked me out on what might be a date tomorrow so I suppose we’ll do that then.” He sighed and tapped the tabletop. “Jeongguk is the main problem. As much as I appreciate how protective he is, because I understand where he’s coming from, I wish I didn’t need to worry. And with Hoseok being his friend, well…”

“That does complicate things,” Namjoon agreed, frowning in sympathy. “And you need to consider whether there's a need to explain all this to him just yet, in case there isn’t anything _to_ explain.”

“Exactly.” Seokjin sighed. “I don’t want to go behind his back, but I feel like I need to. At least until I know what’s going on between us, which might be nothing, or it might be something but turns into nothing because we don’t work together.”

“It’s your life, hyung, not your brother’s,” Namjoon reminded him. “You don’t need to justify yourself to him, do whatever feels right for you.”

“And if he does hurt you…” Yoongi shrugged his shoulders. “We can take care of him then.” He placed a piece of meat on his own plate and tore it apart, leaving Seokjin with a very disturbing mental image. It was probably best not to ask.

*******

Seokjin had arrived at the restaurant too early, nervous he’d be late. Of course, now he was only more nervous, because he’d had too much time to get himself worked up, and he had been checking his phone every other second. He had sent some messages to his friends, with Namjoon sending an encouraging response every time and Yoongi occasionally piping up with some quiet support. Seokjin wished he could say it was helping.

As he was once again contemplating if he should have just gone inside rather than take a seat on a bench outside (every time someone looked at him, he wondered if they were judging him), he heard someone shouting his name. Startled, he lifted his head, his shoulders sagging in relief when he saw Hoseok hurry towards him. God, he was handsome, and stylish, and his entire aura made Seokjin want to cry, or scream, or both.

Seokjin got to his feet and brushed off his pants, taking a calming breath as Hoseok got closer.

“Hey, you look good! You haven’t been waiting long, have you?”

Momentarily flustered at the compliment, Seokjin opened and closed his mouth, then licked his lips and offered a smile of his own. “Not at all. And thank you, I do. I mean, you do. You look good too.” Normally, he was much more eloquent than this, honestly, but it appeared as though Hoseok hadn’t even noticed how awkward he was being and he was grinning instead.

“Thanks. Should we go in?”

Seokjin nodded and gestured for Hoseok to go first, receiving another devastating smile. Once they were seated, Seokjin glanced around, finding the restaurant just on the right side of busy: not so much so that it was uncomfortable, but not so quiet that he felt put on display. Not that it mattered too much: he was here for Hoseok and for food, not for anyone else.

“Oh, they have lobster!” Having not checked out the menu beforehand, Seokjin was quite pleasantly surprised to find it served a variety of seafood. It was Namjoon’s least favourite type of food, so Seokjin rarely had the chance to go to places like this when he ate out with his friends.

“Kookie mentioned you like it,” Hoseok told him. “Not because I asked,” he hurried to add when Seokjin’s head snapped up, “it just came up once when he was talking about you and I remembered. Order whatever you want, I set some money aside for today.”

That was quite sweet, yet Seokjin refused to accept. “No, I’ll pay for us,” he insisted, wondering if he should order alcohol or if he wanted to remain fully sober for this. Either option had its pros and cons, to be honest (not that he was intending to get plastered, of course).

“No, I invited you,” Hoseok protested.

“Exactly, you’ve already made an effort, now it’s my turn.” When it looked like Hoseok was going to disagree, Seokjin held up his hand. “I’m older than you, it only makes sense. However, if it makes you uncomfortable, we could always split the bill.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Hoseok nodded, a gentle smile on his lips. Seokjin had noticed his mouth formed a heart when he smiled fully, like his entire body had to express its joy, and that thought was painful.

“Okay, fine, you can pay this time.”

Seokjin started at the suggestion that there’d be a next time and he smiled down at his menu, pressing his lips together to make it less obvious.

After their order had been taken (lobster for Seokjin, crab for Hoseok, both of them having picked Sprite rather than anything alcoholic - for now, at least), Seokjin worried there’d be an awkward silence he’d have to fill up, but luckily Hoseok, like him, was great at breaking the ice.

“So you mentioned you like to play the piano?” Hoseok asked as he played with his napkin, mindlessly folding it into different shapes.

“Oh, yes. I don’t get to play often, but my friend Yoongi has a keyboard at home that he lets me use sometimes. He’s much better than I am, though.”

That elicited a shrug. “I don’t know, everyone has a different style. You might not play like he does, but someone might prefer your way, you know? Not that I know how either of you play and I’ve heard about how talented he is from Jeongguk too, but in my opinion we too often say someone else is better or worse than us - or than anyone else - when what we really mean is that they’re different.”

That was a valid point. There were different skill levels, but that was what practice was for, and even Yoongi had mostly encouraged him to give his own personal twist to songs, which was more important than forcing himself to play a certain way. He said as much to Hoseok, who nodded in agreement.

“It’s the same with dance: Kookie and I often work with these two other dancers, Taehyung and Jimin,” ah yes, Seokjin had met them before; lovely people, very cute, “and even when we all do the same choreography, you can immediately tell who’s who. That doesn’t mean any of us are bad, and I believe it even makes us stronger as a group.”

Seokjin’s ex had done his best to break down his confidence and as sad as it was, Hoseok was like a breath of fresh air (Yoongi would warn him of having low standards, which wasn’t untrue, but Seokjin was convinced Hoseok would beat any high standards as well). It was nice to have someone who didn’t try to put him against his best friend, or against himself.

At that moment, their drinks arrived, saving Seokjin from blurting out all his thoughts and fears; that would likely be too much for a first date (?), and Seokjin didn’t want to be too much too soon.

Their food came soon after and by that time they were discussing their favourite music, favourite films - neither had a fondness of anything too scary (when Seokjin revealed he watched them so he could stay awake, Hoseok seemed somewhat intrigued, though he said he’d rather use energy drinks) - and favourite food. Seokjin mentioned what games he liked and other instruments he could play and Hoseok confessed his fear of most theme park rides.

“God, I love crab,” Hoseok moaned, making Seokjin stare down at his plate intently. Something he had noticed all on his own was that Hoseok made little sound effects for everything he did, which was endearing and amusing, but in this case it was torture. “How’s your food, hyung?”

Seokjin stared down at his lobster, which he hadn’t even started eating yet, and quickly got to it. No use letting good food go to waste over an internal crisis. “Mmm, very good!” he complimented, still chewing. “Thanks for bringing me here.” If nothing else, he could return here with Yoongi or Jeongguk, or even suggest it as a place for their next work outing.

Hoseok waved him off. “Thank you for agreeing to come with.” He paused, swirling his drink around in its glass. “Hey, so I know we haven’t really talked about this and we don't even know each other that well yet, but…" He glanced up at Seokjin, then quickly averted his eyes. "I was kind of hoping we could class this as a date. If you want to.”

Seokjin looked at him, stopped eating and placed his cutlery down on the table, licking the food off his lips. This was it, a chance to start something new, to get to know someone in that way again, and it was both exhilarating and terrifying. What if he was making the wrong choice? Granted, a date wasn’t a full-on commitment and he could call this off whenever he wanted, if he wanted, but it meant vulnerability. Then again, Hoseok looked genuine and hopeful, and he was one of Jeongguk’s friends, and Jeongguk generally only associated with good people. And hadn't he already decided he trusted Hoseok? Not fully, not yet, but enough.

“I do want to,” he admitted. His heart fluttered at the sight of Hoseok’s relief and happiness. It made him feel… worthy. Wanted.

“Good.” Hoseok smiled and reached out to place his fingers on Seokjin’s wrist. “I promise to treat you well.”

Seokjin cleared his throat and turned over his hand so Hoseok could hold it. “I’ll do the same for you.”

*******

“I’m sorry I haven’t gotten to see you much recently.”

Hoseok was apologising over the phone, even though they hadn’t even made plans to meet today. Seokjin appreciated it, it made him feel like Hoseok truly wanted to see him, and so far he hadn’t cancelled any of their dates yet. Not that Seokjin would be upset if he did: he knew Hoseok would have a valid reason if that happened and he tried to make time to drop by his work for a quick chat, rang him often, and messaged him multiple times a day. (Hoseok had even met Yoongi and Namjoon, who had both approved of him.)

All that was going on was that Hoseok was still very busy working on the choreography he’d be performing with Jeongguk in just over two weeks. They had already planned a bigger date for after that: a weekend away to Busan, which Seokjin was looking forward to. The only downside was that they’d have to come clean with Jeongguk before then, as dates were difficult enough to hide from him, but it would be nigh impossible to let this go unnoticed (Jeongguk had already questioned Seokjin on where he’d been last Saturday, when Hoseok had taken him to an aquarium; luckily, Namjoon had been willing to pretend he’d been with him).

“You can make it up to me next time we meet,” Seokjin quipped. “I like flowers. They’re like me.” _And you._

Hoseok laughed. “They’re no competition. But sure, I can bring you flowers. Maybe a hug too.”

Seokjin hummed and snuggled into the settee, pulling a blanket over himself. “I wouldn’t say no to a kiss either.”

“Then a kiss you’ll get.” There was a kissy noise through the phone, making Seokjin’s lips twitch. “Will I see you at the studio tonight or is Jeongguk going home alone?”

“I’m picking him up.” Jeongguk had asked him to do so right before leaving to meet a friend. He had grumbled but agreed, not actually minding it and with the added bonus of being able to catch a glimpse of Hoseok, he was definitely up for it. “Try to finish before midnight, please. I need my beauty sleep.”

Hoseok made a noise of disapproval. “You don’t, but you _do_ need your regular sleep. Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on the time. I told him I have an early shift tomorrow - which I do.”

“Then _definitely_ finish on time, I don’t want my boyfriend to be too exhausted.” It still felt odd to use that word, boyfriend, and Seokjin hadn’t gotten fully used to it yet, but Hoseok reacted with an adorable squeak whenever he did use it, which made it worth it.

“I have to go.” Hoseok’s pout was audible through the phone. “I’m excited to see you later!”

“Me too. I’ll blow a kiss your way when Jeongguk isn’t looking.”

“An air kiss.” Hoseok sighed wistfully. “It will do for now. Anyway, see you, babe!”

He hung up before Seokjin could do more than sputter. Babe. That was a new one, but he liked it. Too much, perhaps, because he was aware his ears were burning and his neck was turning red.

“I’ve definitely fallen for him,” Seokjin sighed. (“Glad you finally figured it out, hyung,” was Namjoon’s response when Seokjin texted their group chat.)

Of course things couldn’t go right forever, and it had probably been naive to think they could hide this from Jeongguk for so long. Still, when Seokjin showed up that night and neared their studio room, he wasn’t expecting to hear raised voices rather than music. Initially he wondered if he should call someone, then he recognised the voices of his brother and his boyfriend and faltered in his step.

“You’re my _friend_ , but he’s my _brother_ , why don’t you get that?”

“I do get it, that’s why we didn’t tell you. I like him, Jeongguk, is that so hard to believe?”

Neither of them regularly expressed their anger, at least not around Seokjin, and he wasn’t entirely sure what to do about it. He lingered outside their room, wondering if he should interfere or not; would it only make things worse if he did?

“You don’t know what he’s been through! You say you like him now, but what if you break his heart later on?”

“And what if I don’t? No, I don’t know what happened with his ex, and I don’t think it’s up to you to tell me, but even if we don’t work out, I’d never be cruel to him. That’s not how I am, and as my friend, you should know that. Do you not trust me?”

“Not when it comes to my brother.”

Okay, that was enough. Seokjin refused to let a friendship fall apart over this, especially since Jeongguk was being completely unfair. How had he found out in the first place? Didn’t matter, that was of later concern. He pushed open the door and stepped inside to find the two of them standing about a metre apart, both appearing angry and disappointed, and most of all hurt. They both turned towards him when he entered the room.

“What’s going on?” He shook his head at himself. No. Stupid question. He already knew. “Scratch that. Stop yelling at him, Jeongguk. I don’t know how you found out and I’m sorry we didn’t tell you ourselves, but this,” he gestured between them both, “is exactly why we didn’t.”

Jeongguk’s face crumpled, though he quickly tried to hide it. “I’m just looking out for you.”

“I know you are,” Seokjin said gently, “but you overdo it sometimes. Hobi has been good to me and I trust him.” He glanced over at Hoseok, who nodded at him and moved away to give them some privacy. Seokjin walked closer and placed his hand on Jeongguk’s arm. “Look, I appreciate you taking care of me, but you should understand not everyone is out to hurt me. Especially him.”

Jeongguk tongued his cheek and shook his head. “I promised myself I’d protect you,” he mumbled. “I guess I couldn’t even do that right.” He grabbed his bag and hesitated, having apparently remembered that Seokjin was his ride. “I’ll take a taxi to Jimin’s.”

“Don’t be silly, we should talk about this.” Seokjin tried to reach for Jeongguk’s bag, but he backed away.

“Not tonight.” He looked small and miserable, his eyes pleading. “I just. I need to think, or I might say something I’ll regret. You can go home together instead.” He shook his head when Seokjin tried to disagree. “See it as me making up for neither of you trusting me, but I need some time too. I’ll text you.” After a brief hesitation, he glanced over at Hoseok. “Both of you. But later.”

Begrudgingly, Seokjin let him go, unsure if he was making the right decision in doing so. He knew Jeongguk was sensitive and he was upset and if it weren’t for Hoseok gently holding him back, Seokjin would have probably gone after him.

“Let him cool down,” Hoseok told him, reaching down to squeeze his hand. “He’s hurt and confused, we can’t do anything right now.”

“But-” But Seokjin could explain himself, could explain them both, could explain he loved Jeongguk and that he understood him, could explain he nonetheless needed space to breathe and to be able to make his own mistakes, could explain he didn’t think Hoseok was or would be a mistake, whether they lasted or not.

“You need to think too,” Hoseok pointed out. “About why exactly you were so terrified to let Jeongguk know, because although I get it and I went along with it, because I did agree it was for the best, perhaps we should have trusted him more.”

Seokjin sighed and slumped his shoulders. “We were going to tell him soon.”

Hoseok looked like Seokjin felt, which made him feel even worse: his pretty lips were downturned, his eyes sad. “Not soon enough,” he muttered. “We waited a long time, hyung. And for him to find out how he did probably didn’t help.”

“How did he find out anyway?” Seokjin watched Hoseok pack up and followed him out the room, Hoseok turning off the lights and locking the door behind them. They walked down the empty hallway and Seokjin was reminded of how he had imagined ghosts that first night he had met Hoseok. Right now he’d gladly have real ghosts around him rather than the lingering sadness Jeongguk had left behind.

“Yugyeom.” Another dancer. “He didn’t know we were keeping it a secret and apparently saw us together, so he teased me about it when he dropped by. Jeongguk pretended to be aware till he left.”

That made Seokjin wince. God, that must have been even more painful, poor Jeongguk. He had only ever had the right intentions, though he admittedly could’ve gone about it better.

They walked to the car in heavy silence and it wasn’t until Seokjin made to turn the key that Hoseok spoke again.

“Don’t beat yourself up over it. Mistakes were made on all sides, we just need to take a moment and then we’ll be fine. Jeongguk loves you too much and I know he does care about me, regardless of what he said earlier, and we both care about him in return. Things will work out eventually.”

Seokjin took a deep breath and, after a quick nod, turned the key and drove off.

*******

How something so small could turn into something so large was beyond him: Seokjin had kept a secret, yes, but it had escalated to great heights. He had barely slept last night, feeling too guilty and concerned, and it was only after a quick text from Jeongguk in the early afternoon ( _we’re ok_ ) that Seokjin could be bothered to go out.

Hoseok had been a great help, soothing him and distracting him by holding him, yet Seokjin had said he’d go and pick up some food alone, needing a moment to himself (he knew Hoseok would leave him be if he asked, but he didn’t quite want that either). He waited patiently for their food, then perked up when he spotted Jimin walking over to the pick-up counter. Jeongguk wasn't with him, though that was no surprise - Seokjin could imagine him huddled in a blanket back at Jimin's flat.

“Jimin!”

Startled, Jimin glimpsed over his shoulder, smiling when he saw Seokjin. Having placed his order, he sauntered over, leaning against the wall. “Jin hyung, good to see you. How are you? I heard about what happened last night.”

“I’m doing okay.” Seokjin hesitated, then sighed. “Well. I feel awful.”

Jimin hummed and looked at him with sympathy. “I understand. I also understand why you kept quiet, because as sweet as Kookie is, he’s equally protective. He told me he was ashamed of the things he said to Hobi hyung and I have to agree, he shouldn’t have done that. It was very hurtful.”

True as that was - Hoseok had received a brief yet sincere apology, which had made him tear up - it wasn’t all Jeongguk’s fault. “I shouldn’t have lied to him either.”

“No, but I think he understands why you did. You all did what felt right in the moment, even if it might not have been right in the long run.”

Seokjin offered him a grateful smile. “Thank you, Jimin.” He noticed his order being brought out. “I think that’s my food, but thank you for speaking to me.”

“Oh, it’s no problem at all! I know we’re not super close, but I do like you. Besides, Hobi hyung and Jeongguk are two of my best friends and none of you did anything unforgivable.” He surprised Seokjin with a hug, snuggling into him like they were best friends too. “Enjoy your food, hyung. I’ll see you again soon?”

Seokjin awkwardly patted Jimin’s back. “Yes, of course.” He broke the hug and smiled down at him. “Thank you for looking after Jeongguk, by the way.”

Jimin’s answering smile was both polite and puzzled, though he promised he would.

On his way out, Seokjin passed by whom he was sure was Taehyung, who called out a “yah, Jimin-ah, is our food ready yet?” and didn’t even notice him in the darkly lit area. Seokjin imagined he had joined Jimin in cheering up Jeongguk, as that sounded like the kind of thing he’d do. At least he had good people to be there for him, which was a small comfort.

He went home feeling a little lighter. Perhaps things would indeed be okay.

He celebrated by giving a pleasantly surprised Hoseok a long kiss when he returned home. "Thank you," he murmured. He knew plenty could still happen between them and he needed to fix his relationship with Jeongguk, however long that may take, but right now he could believe everything would work out somehow. Jeongguk shouldn't have found out the way he had, but it was for the best he knew, because Seokjin had no intention of letting Hoseok go any time soon.

Hoseok wrapped him in his arms and rubbed their noses together before kissing him again.

*******

“You’ll do great,” Seokjin told Hoseok, adjusting his hair so it was swept off his forehead. He sighed dreamily and tousled his hair some more. “Why do you have to be so attractive?”

“Why do you have to be so cheesy?” Yoongi complained, groaning when Hoseok leaned in to peck Seokjin’s lips.

It was the day of the dance performance and they had been allowed backstage, in the dressing room, something Seokjin was quickly taking advantage of. Hey, if he got to help make Hoseok look good (look _better_ ; the man always looked good), he wasn’t complaining. And, you know, moral support and all that. That was important too.

“I’m helping my boyfriend,” Seokjin explained.

Yoongi gave him a _look_. “By eating the lipgloss off his mouth?”

“They’re in love,” Namjoon reminded him. “Let them be. We’d be doing exactly the same thing if we could.” He froze, his eyes wide and panicked. “Not to Hoseok! To someone we actually like. Not that we don’t like Hoseok-”

“Just stop talking,” Seokjin sighed while Hoseok cracked up beside him.

“What’s going on?”

Seokjin’s hands dropped from Hoseok when Jeongguk entered the room. Although he knew now and had even given them his blessing (adding that they didn’t need it, because he understood they could date whomever they wanted), things were still a bit tense between them at times. And, well, Seokjin was sure that, either way, Jeongguk didn’t want to see his brother be all boyfriendy, because that feeling was mutual.

Jeongguk shook his head and held up his hands. “Never mind, please don’t tell me.”

“Namjoon did it,” Yoongi pointed out, to which Jeongguk merely hummed, undoubtedly not believing him whatsoever.

Seokjin turned his back on them and adjusted Hoseok’s suit for him, pondering whether he should undo another button on his shirt or leave it as it was. It was a nice suit: a bright red that complimented his skin tone. Jeongguk matched him in black, but as much as Seokjin could admit he looked good (they were brothers, it ran in their genes), he was much more interested in his boyfriend's outfit.

“You really do look ridiculously hot,” he said softly, causing Hoseok to grin at him. Unfair. “You’re going to win.”

“It’s not a competition,” Hoseok laughed, his hands on Seokjin’s waist.

“You’re right, you’ve already won.”

Hoseok raised his eyebrows and, after glancing over Seokjin’s shoulder to ensure Jeongguk wasn’t looking their way, leaned in closer, lowering his voice. “Oh? What’s my prize?”

“Me, obviously.”

“Yeah, but you told me I already have you, so…”

“You know, you can cut the sexual tension in here with a knife.”

Seokjin and Hoseok jumped apart as Jeongguk made a gagging noise behind them, while Namjoon said: “I don’t think that’s how that phrase goes.”

When Seokjin turned towards the new voice, he was faced with a friendly-looking Taehyung who plopped down on the settee, followed by Jimin, who dropped himself onto his lap. The dressing room was for all participants, but most were out in the hallway doing some last stretches or receiving some last-minute encouragement - or trying to soothe their anxiety - and not many were actually in here. In fact, Seokjin had only seen these two when he first arrived, as they had gotten ready at home and had only needed to touch up.

“There are different kinds of tension,” Taehyung pointed out calmly. And he had a point there. He narrowed his eyes as he looked Seokjin and Hoseok over, then grinned before Seokjin could start to panic. "I like you two together. We should double date one day." Seokjin furrowed his eyebrows. Double date who? Before he could ask, Yugyeom peeked around the corner (according to Jeongguk, he had remained blissfully unaware of the entire chain of events) and pointed at the three non-dancers. “You guys should find your seats, the performance is about to start.”

Namjoon and Yoongi got to their feet and Seokjin took the opportunity to press a swift kiss to Hoseok’s cheek. Jeongguk followed the three of them to the doorway as they shouted out their good luck wishes to the foursome. He lingered there for a moment to watch them go with his hands in his pockets, clearly restless.

“You’ll do well, Kookie,” Seokjin reassured him. “We’ll be cheering you on from the crowd.”

“Yeah…” Jeongguk took a deep breath and forced a smile. He must be more nervous than he was letting on and Seokjin wondered if he should do more, encourage him further. “Thanks, hyung. Take me out for a meal after.”

He hesitated a moment longer, then he turned back around to enter the dressing room, leaving Seokjin stunned at his audacity. He'd grumble, but he couldn't deny it was nice to have a semblance of normality. After all, the past two weeks had had him and Jeongguk walking on eggshells around each other, both of them feeling guilty and Jeongguk still hurt, as much as he pretended he wasn't. Hoseok was the same, though he had openly said so (something Seokjin was getting used to; Namjoon said it was healthy for him to do the same).

Things with Hoseok, meanwhile, were going well. He treated him as the prince he deserved, never made him feel inadequate and although he sometimes sighed when Seokjin dressed up in his most unique style, he never refused to go anywhere with him and told him his face made up for it anyway.

Hoseok was there to nudge him when he hesitated and to raise him up when he felt down. He supported him and laughed with him, teased him yet never judged him, and Seokjin didn’t think he had ever felt this comfortable in a relationship before. Although neither of them had expressed love yet, Seokjin knew he was getting there, if he wasn’t already.

As the lights dimmed, Seokjin decided: he’d tell him later. Perhaps not tonight, perhaps not even on their trip, but he’d tell him. He’d tell him the sun had touched his life and made it infinitely brighter.


End file.
